Cymmer Primary School is in the village of Cymmer, on the outskirts of Porth in the Rhondda Valley. The school opened in September 2016 following the amalgamation of the former infant and junior schools. Currently, foundation phase pupils receive their education on the school site but key stage 2 pupils are temporarily based in the nearby secondary school. In the very near future, key stage 2 will move to the refurbished building, resulting in a primary school, on one site. There are currently 263 pupils on roll between the ages of 3 and 11, including 28 part-time pupils in the nursery. The school has 11 classes, including six single-age classes, three mixed-age classes and a part-time nursery class. The school also has a key stage 2 learning resource base class for pupils with additional learning needs. The three-year average of pupils eligible for free school meals is 34%, which is well above the national average of 18%. The school identifies around 22% of pupils as having additional learning needs. This is similar to the national average of 21%. Very few pupils have a statement of special educational needs. Very few pupils come from an ethnic minority background or are in the care of the local authority. Very few pupils have English as an additional language and no pupils speak Welsh at home. The current headteacher took up her post in September 2016, having previously been the headteacher at the junior school. This is the school’s first inspection as a primary school. Further information is available from the Welsh Government My Local School website at the link below. http://mylocalschool.wales.gov.uk/Schools/SchoolSearch?lang=en 1 A report on Cymmer Primary School October 2018 Summary During their time at the school, most pupils progress well and develop effective literacy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Pupils feel safe at school and praise the care and support that is available to them from staff. They show care for each other and respect their peers, staff and visitors to the school. The school provides a broad range of rich learning experiences that improve pupils’ skills successfully. Overall, teaching and assessment procedures support most pupils to make good progress from their individual starting points. Teachers and learning support assistants respond sensitively to the needs of all pupils, including those that are most vulnerable. Additionally, they provide effective guidance and support for parents. The headteacher and governors have a clear vision to move the school forward. The newly formed leadership team focus well on improving provision, for example by promoting professional learning to ensure that the staff’s care and support affects pupils’ wellbeing purposefully. Inspection area Judgement Standards Good Wellbeing and attitudes to learning Good Teaching and learning experiences Good Care, support and guidance Good Leadership and management Good 2 A report on Cymmer Primary School October 2018 Recommendations R1 Ensure that pupils apply their numeracy skills purposefully across the curriculum R2 Improve the level of challenge for more able pupils R3 Ensure that teaching does not restrict pupils’ independent learning skills R4 Ensure that the newly formed leadership team implements improvement strategies effectively to maximise its impact on provision and pupils’ outcomes What happens next The school will draw up an action plan to address the recommendations from the inspection.